1. Field of the Invention
The present invention describes a method for producing a toner-fixing roll. More specifically, the present invention describes a method for producing an electrophotographic toner-fixing roll which fixes the toner powder image in dry electrophotography to the image-supporting material, such as paper, etc., using heat and pressure.
2. Background Information
Silicone rubber-coated rolls are the standard example of electrophotographic toner-fixing rolls known from the prior art. However, because simple silicone rubber-coated rolls do not exhibit a satisfactory releasability for fused toner, the following have appeared: toner-fixing rolls, and particularly heat-fixing rolls, in which the silicone rubber-coated roll has been immersed in hot silicone oil for an extended period of time for impregnation with silicone oil; toner-fixing rolls, and particularly heat-fixing rolls, obtained by vulcanizing a silicone oil-containing rubber composition; and toner-fixing rolls, and particularly heat-fixing rolls, wherein a thin film of silicone oil is supplied to the surface of the silicone rubber-coated roll during use.
However, with regard to tone-fixing rolls, and particularly heat-fixing rolls, which have been impregnated with silicone oil, as well as silicone oil-containing toner-fixing rolls, and particularly silicone oil-containing heat-fixing rolls, the silicone rubber is swollen by the action of the silicone oil. Also, the silicone oil may be entirely consumed in a short time and the releasability of the silicone rubber will then decline and it will shrink. On the other hand, supplying silicone oil to a toner-fixing roll, and particularly to a heat-fixing roll, requires a silicone oil supply device, thus necessitating a larger apparatus.